The Man From Illinois

To me, a lifelong resident of the State of Illinois, the Lincoln Memorial is the base of the National Mall and it is the Parthenon of Memorials. At the foot of the Reflecting Pool and with a wonderful view of the Washington Monument, the Lincoln is simply majestic.

Inside, the Daniel Chester French statue is one of the most powerful, vivid and lifelike representations I have ever seen. Every visit to DC must include a courtesy call on Mr. President Lincoln, known back in Illinois as Honest Abe. May he rest in peace.

Headed Home

After a pleasant walk along the roads and among the buildings of New Salem, it was time to head for home. A wonderful, vital statue of Lincoln at the age he found himself at New Salem is right at the entrance/exit to the park, and a left turn with a short drive gives you a view of the mill building that is nestled right alongside the road.

Clouds mounted and rain chased us off, happy to have balanced our weeks in Europe with a little look at the heartland of Illinois, the "Land of Lincoln."

Next post will be a look back at our Europe trip in a way we have posted after previous trips.

New Salem

A bit off the beaten path, New Salem is a great place to spend a few hours in a friendly atmosphere not crowded in with tons of tourists. Restored back in the Depression era to look much as it did when the young Lincoln was a shopkeeper, rather than an attorney, the buildings and the sights are refreshing and interesting. Mark it down, stop by New Salem for a look at Lincoln's life before fame.

A few more photos from New Salem in the next post.

Another Replica

Another of the replicas of President Abraham Lincoln found in the corridors of the Presidential Tomb. And this one, too, has been seen more than once. The Daniel French centerpiece of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC is also seen here and in the bright airy light of the Rice Wing in the Art Institute of Chicago. Having seen the two replicas this year, I look forward to seeing the original in 2010. Blog entries of DC should be appearing in July!

Meanwhile, next post will stop in Mr. Lincoln's New Salem.

Lincoln Statues

Inside the Lincoln Tomb, each visitor walks around the perimeter of the building until reaching the burial site exactly opposite the entrance. After seeing the site, one continues out the other side. And in several places along the way, people stop to see replicas of various Lincoln statues from other locations. One had personal interest for me, as I know the original by Saint-Gaudens. It is outside the Chicago History Museum in, of course, Lincoln Park.

This year I have seen the two most famous replicas of the statue in Lincoln Park. One, shown here, is from the marble hallway leading to the resting place. The other is obviously outdoors, where the President stands, just north of Westminster Abbey, looking across at Parliament. In London.

Longtime followers might recognize the London picture, as it was posted here earlier, on July 24, as I began my series of Europe photos. Another replica statue in the next post.

Presidential Rest

Quiet, peaceful, muted light, respectful. Classy. Here is the honored place where Abraham Lincoln, considered by many the greatest President in the history of the Republic, will rest forever. Anyone from Illinois would certainly feel uplifted by the visit.

A look at one of the statues inside the Tomb in the next post.

Good Luck Rub

Several statues of Lincoln in various locations have become noted for bringing luck to those who rub the nose of the figure. This becomes quite obvious over time, as the rubbed areas shine as the rest of the statue ages gracefully.

Outside the Presidential Tomb in Springfield is the statue that I believe began the tradition. First I rubbed, then I snapped the photo. Perhaps if you rub your monitor right on the nose, the Lincoln power will be strong enough to come through the Internet.

Good Luck! We look inside the resting place in the next post.

Lincoln-Herndon Law Office

The Lincoln-Herndon Law Office, where the future President worked on cases, told stories, and wrote his First Inaugural Address, is right across the street from the Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield.

Seeing the desk at which he apparently wrote that speech is a real highlight of a visit.

A trip to Lincoln's last resting place in the next post.

Colorful Rooms

The rooms in President Lincoln's home are quite colorful as we see in these two shots from the family's parlor. Both shots show the bright color of the carpet on the floor, one of the shots in a closeup. The other photos shows a table with a deep red tablecloth and holding one of the family's favorite pastimes: photographs. But these were not just early attempts at photography, these were stereographs. The large wooden box would hold the stereo photos, much like the View-Master photos I had as a child. Since our eyes generate full 3D sight by using the slightly different views of our two eyes, the stereographs show slightly separated views that can be combined in a viewer to see a quite effective 3D view.

Following the relaxed and interesting visit to the Lincoln home, we walked back downtown to another of the future President's favorite places: his law office. Some shots from there in the next post.

Kitchen & Bedroom

Interesting items on display in the various rooms of the Lincoln residence in Springfield are today's focus. The kitchen naturally centers around the stove mentioned in the previous post, an item that has been here for a century and a half. Even on a bright summer day it is easy to see the warmth and aroma that would have surrounded the stove and the kitchen all those years ago.

In another room, we see colorful carpeting in a bedroom. And those of us with indoor plumbing might not understand the pottery bowl under the bed, as we can get up and step to the bathroom when the need occurs. At a time when the facility was an outhouse, sleepers were provided with a handy alternative.

More items from the Lincoln house in the next post.

Home of the President

Nestled in a National Park today, the last home owned by Abraham Lincoln is situated into a small community of period buildings. The house has been tended and refurbished in a major effort that must have hundreds of people involved. When we last visited the site about 18 years ago, the house was in good condition, filled with furniture of the time, but not the furniture owned by the Lincolns. I recall our tour guide telling us that only the cast iron kitchen stove was from the family as it was too heavy to move.

Today the house is in excellent condition, everything well-preserved and easy to see. And many of the rooms feature actual Lincoln furniture and possessions. Photography is encouraged, and we will look into some rooms in the next post. And a unique setup kitty-corner across the street, shows the famous vista of the house as seen through a Civil War-era camera. A nice semi-historical touch.

Lincoln Images

The Lincoln Presidential Museum is bright, airy and beautiful, filled with interesting facts and many life size dioramas of the statesman who is often considered the best President in the history of the Republic. Images of family members, scenes from campaigns and wartime, and speculative looks at the life the famed President when he was miles away and years earlier than the fame that was to come.

Perhaps my favorite image from the entire museum is outside a cabin mockup featuring scenes from Lincoln growing up. As you see, a pensive young man, book in hand, seated on a stump. A fine image and a great experience.

Next post will visit the last home the President owned, his home before he left for the White House.

Visit to Springfield

Following the end of the Europe trip, we arrived home exhausted. A week later, though, we were ready to roll again, taking a trip to Springfield, Illinois, the adult home of Abraham Lincoln. The relatively new Lincoln Presidential Museum, the Lincoln family home before his election, his law offices, and New Salem, his home when he was a young man are all open for interested students of all ages.

Once we found the underground parking garage we came up right across from the old state capitol building, where Lincoln often spoke and worked. Later, at New Salem, we saw a leaf that looked to me a lot like a bright green heart, perhaps a St. Patrick's Day decoration. We will visit some Springfield highlights in the next several posts, including some of the buildings at New Salem.

Churchill, Of Course . . . & Lincoln

On our first walk we came across a small statue park with several British statesman on display, literally across the street from Westminster and from Parliament. A great view of Churchill, recognizable from a distance in a stern walking pose.

But in an adjacent shady area on the next block, I found a statue I had come to look for. A replica of one I have known from my youth, when I lived in walking distance from Lincoln Park, I often visited the St. Gaudens' work of Honest Abe standing before a chair. It was a pleasant touch of America found downtown in London.